The ceremony
The vows, the rites, the blessing and the moment the marriage is made.
The ceremony is the moment the marriage is made, in religion, in law or in both. It may last five minutes or five hours. It may be held at a temple, a mosque, a church, a registry office, a garden or at home. What it has in common everywhere is that someone witnesses and the couple agree.
What is required
In Islam the core is the offer, the acceptance and two witnesses, with the mahr agreed. In Judaism the ring is given before witnesses under the chuppah and the ketubah is signed. In Hinduism the saptapadi before the fire completes the marriage under the Hindu Marriage Act in India. In Catholic and Protestant weddings the exchange of vows is the key, with a priest or minister present. In civil weddings the declaration before a registrar is what counts.
Many ways to do it
Orthodox Christians crown the couple and share the common cup. Sikhs circle the Guru Granth Sahib four times in the lavan. Bahá'í couples each say a single verse before two witnesses. Chinese families once bowed to Heaven and Earth, to the parents and to each other. Many Indigenous weddings include a blanket, a pipe or a dance, depending on the nation. Quakers sit in silence until the couple stand and speak.
Making it your own
Couples now ask friends to officiate, write vows, include readings from different traditions, and choose music. Some ceremonies are bilingual, and many couples use a mix of two religions. The law still requires a few set words in many countries, and it is worth checking.
Written by the EveryShaadi desk with AI assistance. Background on The ceremony (stage of the wedding). Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
🇮🇹 Rome, ItalyWeddings in ancient Rome
The religious ceremonies and attire that marked a union in the city of Rome before the rise of Christianity.Rite · The weeks before
🇪🇸 Spain and 4 moreMantilla
A lace or silk veil worn over the head and shoulders by women in Spain and Latin AmericaAttire · The weeks before
🇺🇦 UkraineSong about the RushnykПісня про рушник (Pisnia pro rushnyk)
A Ukrainian song that celebrates the embroidered cloth used in weddings and family life.Performance · The ceremony
🇦🇹 Austria and 4 moreDirndl
The bodice, skirt and apron dress worn by brides in the German-speaking Alps.Attire · The ceremony
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreWedding dress
The ceremonial garment worn by the bride during her marriage rite.Attire · The ceremony
🇬🇷 Greece and 5 moreWedding ring
A metal circle worn on the finger to show that a person is married.Attire · Engagement and betrothal
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreCare cloth
A linen or silk cloth held over the heads of a bride and groom during a Christian wedding blessing.Attire · The ceremony
🇺🇦 Kyiv, Ukraine and 2 moreOchipokочіпок
The embroidered cap that covers a Ukrainian bride's hair to mark her new status as a married womanAttire · The ceremony
🇺🇦 UkraineTraditional Ukrainian weddingТрадиційне українське весілля
A multi-day sequence of folk rites, bread baking and church vows that marks the transition from maidenhood to married liRite · Finding a match
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreWedding superstitions
Traditional beliefs about luck and omens that shape wedding rituals across culturesAttire · The weeks before
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreBridal bouquet
The handheld flower arrangement carried by the bride during her wedding ceremony.Attire · The ceremony
🇩🇪 Hanover, Germany and 5 moreBridal crownBrautkrone
A headdress worn by brides in Central and Northern Europe to symbolize purity and status.Attire · The ceremony
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 2 moreWhite wedding
A formal Western ceremony marked by a white bridal gown and traditional Christian rituals.Attire · Engagement and betrothal
🇬🇧 United KingdomBoutonnière
A single flower or small arrangement pinned to the lapel of a groom's suit at a wedding.Attire · The ceremony
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreRing fingerdigitus annularis
The fourth digit of the hand where wedding and engagement rings are traditionally worn.Attire · The ceremony
🇷🇴 Ieud, RomaniaNunta mortului
A symbolic Romanian rite that dresses an unmarried dead person as a bride or groom to complete their life cycle.Rite · The weeks before
🇩🇪 GermanyBollenhut
A straw hat with woolen pompoms worn by women in specific Black Forest villages as part of their traditional dress.Attire · The weeks before
🇩🇪 Germany and 5 moreLenten veilFastentuch
A large painted or embroidered canvas that covers the altar during Lent to create a period of visual penance.Rite · The weeks before
🇺🇦 UkraineWax wedding head wreathвосковий вінок
A paraffin and paper bridal crown worn in parts of Ukraine until the late twentieth century.Attire · The ceremony
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreWhite tie
The highest level of formal Western evening attire for men and womenAttire · The ceremony
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Bridal crown: Daderot, CC0, source
- Interfaith marriage in Christianity: Andreas Praefcke, CC BY 3.0, source
- White tie: jonlo168, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Wax wedding head wreath: Sofo, GFDL, source
- Boutonnière: David Ring, CC0, source
- Ring finger: RAPMOODDE, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bollenhut: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Weddings in ancient Rome: Meister der Aldobrandinischen Hochzeit, Public domain, source
- Wedding ring: CLW at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
- Care cloth: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Mantilla: Museu Valencià d'Etnologia, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Ochipok: Unknown author, CC0, source
- Traditional Ukrainian wedding: Пимоненко, Николай Корнильевич, Public domain, source
- Wedding superstitions: Anonymous Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Nunta mortului: Iosif Berman, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Lenten veil: Plutowiki, CC0, source
- Dirndl: High Contrast, CC BY 3.0 de, source
- Bridal bouquet: James Vick's Sons (Rochester, N.Y.); Henry G. Gilbert Nursery and Seed, No restrictions, source
- Wedding dress: Statens historiska museer, CC BY 2.5, source